Category: What You Can Do

Showing up is hard. Sometimes it’s hard to believe our single act of showing up will make a difference at all. But when we’re able to see the big picture, we find that it is vital. When you show up, it matters … and not just to the people you’re helping. Let’s look at some reasons why.

What if your Christmas gift did more than just bring joy to one child? What if your one act of giving helped foster generosity in an entire city? This is the case for a small island community in Indonesia. Through your gifts, Christmas giving became contagious!

For years I traveled to the countries where this ministry serves children living in desperate poverty. I’d sit and listen to the children and their families’ stories. The gap between us seemed so wide even though we were sitting right next to each other. But then we’d share a meal. And the gap couldn’t stand up to this act of breaking bread.

Parenting in our generation is so different than our parents’ generation, isn’t it? I don’t know whether it is an intense need for control or the fact that we are surrounded by voices who are trying to convince us we aren’t safe. Whatever the cause, we parent with the brakes on.

When asked, “What’s your favorite part of a letter?” the answer is easy for many sponsored youths. Eight children and teens answer this very question in the month’s edition of the Compassion Letter Club!